Yamaha P-71: No Sound After a Spill The customer initially reported spilling water in the keyboard. However, on inspection, the substance was oily. It had also wicked into the keyboard contacts and speakers. The most damaged component—and the reason the keyboard made no sound at all—was the volume slider. I removed the original and soldered … Read more
Yamaha P-121 with Key that Doesn’t Play Two of the most common issues I encounter are keys that either don’t play at all, or play at full volume. Contact issues are, invariably, the cause of these issues. There are two parts involved in making proper contact: The rubber contact strips, which move and compress as … Read more
In my Disklavier Upgrades guide article, I make reference several times to DKC-850 conversion cables. These are the cables you use to connect your older Yamaha Disklavier to a newer DKC-850 control unit (or a DKC‑800 converted to act like a DKC‑850). The original conversion cables were provided by Yamaha as part of the DKC-850 … Read more
Why install a Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver (PLS) system? I have a full article on Dampp-Chasers, how they work, and why you may very well benefit from one. If you’re uncertain whether a Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver System is for you, start there! How much does Alex’s Piano Service LLC charge to install them? I’ve … Read more
Over a century ago, famous artists played on specialized instruments from Ampico designed to capture their work. Today, you can download those very same performances as MIDI files available for download! Your very own Disklavier can reproduce those century-old performances. What once were marks made by a nearly-extinct technology on chemical paper can now be … Read more
Customers regularly ask me which is the best humidifier for their piano and music room. Pianos are creatures of humidity: Wood is hygroscopic, meaning naturally absorbs and releases moisture from the air depending on the humidity level. Controlling that relative humidity in and around your piano is the single most important aspect of piano care … Read more
This article is an updated approach to connecting Yamaha Disklaviers to Wi-Fi. Previously, I used Powerline adapters to connect Disklaviers. In those cases, you weren’t technically connecting the Disklavier to Wi-Fi, but were instead bypassing the problem altogether by using the house’s wiring. However, I believe this updated approach is quite simple, somewhat less expensive, … Read more
A hygrometer is a device that measures the amount of moisture in the air, indicating the humidity level. Hygrometers are commonly used in homes and greenhouses to monitor and maintain optimal environmental conditions. Pianos have wood and metal inside of them, and both react to humidity in different ways. Wood is hygroscopic: it absorbs and … Read more
Have you recently received an email offering a free, high-quality piano to you, a “passionate instrument lover”? I periodically receive emails from customers asking me for guidance after receiving similar emails. See the email below for an example: GreetingsI am offering my late husband’s Yamaha Piano to anyone passionate about musical instruments. Please inform me … Read more
I’ve recently installed some external speakers for various Yamaha Disklaviers. Hopefully my experience with this helps somebody else! The Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV is a well-loved, sophisticated instrument. However, upgrading its control unit to the DKC-900 offers several benefits—most notably, access to Yamaha’s ENSPIRE radio stations and On-Demand radio. This is one of my recommended … Read more